Notes for a Tu B'Shvat Seder

1. While enjoying the seven species of produce that the Land of Israel is praised for:

Our Inner Seven Species of Produce:

The idea of a tree is the idea of threading the latent sweet potential hidden in an essence through various realities so it can come ito full expression.

So for example, our divine souls have latent forces within to transform the world into a state of holiness, a veritable paradise. These latent forces in our divine soul, are compared to wheat known as human food.

Next they thread through the animal soul, barley which traditionally is viewed as animal feed.

To do this job right, both souls need happiness - wine.

Then this inner vision needs to transfer to the outer garments -figs, as in Adam & Eve sewed garments of fig leaves.

They the divine soul's light threads through into the world in the form of Mitzvos - pomegranate, as in even the sinners of Israel are filled with Mitzvos as the many seeds of a pomegranate.

Next, this light has to transform the bitterness of exile through processing - like the bitter olive is transformed through processing.


Then after hard work the sweetness of Moshiach's Torah is revealed - like a date tree requires tremendous hard work and patience to cultivate and bring out fruit. Hence, the threading through of our inner soul light into all these stages eventually bring the era of Moshiach into fruition


~ Adapted from a Tu B'Shvat Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe 5752.

2. How the Infinite Light threads down below:

1) A Tu B'shvat poem I'd like to pass out at the seder.

Here's the link: http://soullite.blogspot.com/2011/01/tree-within.html

2) Beverages: Enough white & red grape juice that in theory everyone can have four 3 oz cups worth.

- The first cup will be white grape juice, the second a white with a drop of red, the third half/half & the fourth totally red. This is each of the four worlds which go from purer to more earth toned.

We’ll drink white grape juice for Atzilut. It’s a realm that’s experiences itself as an appendage of the divine; no selfness. There, the divine light flows as smoothly as a drink. Relative to the physical realm, there’s no resistance to the entry of light.

3) Briyah - fruits which are wholly edible: fruits with soft cores (such as apples, pears, figs, etc.) and with cookable skins (like lemons and oranges) are considered totally edible, even if those parts are undesirable.

Here beings start to feel independent, but, not terribly so. Primarily, they experience themselves as forces upholding the divine throne. The light experiences a bit more resistance here. It needs to be chewed. Resistance slows down the flow and allows for latent forces to start expressing themselves - to come into fruition.

5) fruits of which all is eaten except for a pit on the inside, like peaches, nectarines, grapes with pits, plums, cherries, dates, etc.

Here in the realm of Yetzirah, beings feel an even greater degree of independence. The light holds back its most sensitive core to protect it from being accessed and abused by the forces of evil. This greater resistance allows for even further differentiation and expression of inner forces. So while ostensibly access is compromised, actually, new access to latent inner forces are aroused.

6) Fruits which are enclosed in a totally inedible, protective shell, like avocado, mango, nuts, etc. symbolize the situation in the realm of Assiyah, of which we’re part of. Here in our world there are circumstances where any shred of holy light might be a challenge to access. The challenges can be inside of us, like the wall around a seed or they can be outside of us like the wall around a fruit. However, this allows for both inner and outer changes to accommodate the yet greater differentiation the light is capable of. When this happens the latent potential of the light is fully expressed and threaded through all the realms. The earthly is transformed into a paradise.

3. I Entered my Garden


“Yud Shevat" in 1972, the Lubavitcher Rebbe clarified for me a question which I had in mind for a while, "What kind of Garden is being referred to in 'Song of Songs' Chapter 5?" The Rebbe explained that it's a fruit orchard. The world is like a beautiful orchard. It just takes tending. This idea got me thinking about the connection between "Yud Shavat" and "Tu B'Shvat", where we celebrate fruits grown on trees.

This means we can make all of our thought, words and deeds into fruits of the “Tree of Life”